📖 Meaning
The idiom depicts a husband and wife each riding a divine phoenix-like bird. It metaphorically describes achieving meteoric success, rising rapidly in the world, and feeling completely triumphant and fulfilled.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appears in the Yuan dynasty playwright Yang Jingxian's zaju drama 'Liu Hangshou' (《刘行首》), Act 3, where a character promises to obtain the elixir of immortality and ascend to greatness, 'riding phoenixes and mounting luans.' It draws on ancient Chinese mythology where phoenixes and luans are auspicious birds associated with immortality and divine favor. The idiom was later echoed in the Ming dynasty by Cui Shipei in his adaptation of 'The Romance of the Western Chamber' (《西厢记》), in the scene 'Feast Invitation at the Eastern Pavilion.' Over time, it evolved from its Daoist immortal-ascension imagery into a broader metaphor for worldly success and supreme satisfaction.
💡 Example Usage
他跨凤乘鸾，衣锦还乡，好不风光。
He returned to his hometown in brocade robes, riding high on success as if mounted on phoenixes — a truly glorious sight.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 跨凤乘鸾
- Pinyin: kuà fèng chéng luán
- Literal Translation: ride phoenix, mount luan (a mythical phoenix-like bird)
- Category: Success
- Characters: 4